Social media marketing is one of the best modern marketing strategies you can utilize to boost your practice’s online visibility. Learn what to post and how to utilize your accounts for the best results.

Social media plays a vital role in how you promote your veterinary practice online. Regular engagement helps your practice score higher in Google’s algorithm, which means more clients can find you when they search for local vet clinics. 

Knowing which social media strategies to use is crucial for brand awareness and client engagement. 

Why Are So Many Vet Practices Active on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok?

Facebook and Instagram have over 2.5 billion users on their platforms, so that’s a reason to start. Your practice can tap into this massive user base of potential clients by creating an account and posting to it regularly. These channels allow you to respond directly to individual users or prospective clients who leave comments and questions about your content.

• Facebook lets you share detailed information about your office, post pictures of featured employees, and invite local people to community fundraisers and events. This social media platform also lets you share updates directly to the top of your followers’ feeds. 

• Instagram uses “live sharing” to stream video in real-time to your audience — a practical tool if you want to walk users through your office or run an open Q&A session through your vet practice’s social media account.

• TikTok has rapidly become the favorited social media channel among Millennials and Gen Z. This platform encourages short-form content, such as skits, dances, or fast-fact informational videos, which attract a younger demographic.

If you want to shift your veterinary social media marketing efforts toward a younger demographic, Instagram and TikTok are your best options. 

However, you will need to spend time researching the latest online trends to keep your content fresh and engaging. You’re not going to generate new clients for your veterinary practice if you can’t engage with your target audience.

How Should Your Veterinary Practice Engage with Users Online?

While there is no easy answer and there are multiple ways to answer this, the best rule to live by is the one of maximum engagement. If you can’t engage with pet owners, they won’t come into your practice.

The quickest way to engage with potential clients online is through comment interaction. If users post feedback on your content, always respond professionally and respectfully.

Suppose you post a link on Facebook to a blog about heartworm treatment. Some users may have questions about information not included in the blog. This is the perfect opportunity to engage with them by replying to their comment publicly or sending a private message discussing their options and encouraging them to schedule an appointment at your veterinary practice.

You can also share positive client reviews and testimonials (with permission) to boost the credibility of your practice online. Some users may not submit reviews over Google, but they might leave short testimonials on your social media profiles. 

Share these online if you can.

Running a contest on social media is another fun way to drive engagement on your profile. 

For example, you could give away free merchandise or rewards to the first 500 users to like and share your posts. 

You could also run a random prize lottery for anyone who leaves a review for your practice online.

These methods can increase clicks on your profile and keep your practice top of mind amongst pet owners.

What Are the Benefits of Posting to Your Account Regularly?

Like I just mentioned, by maintaining an active social media profile, you are keeping your veterinary practice top of mind for pet owners.

Active veterinary social media profiles receive more impressions and overall engagement than inactive accounts. You can keep your practice’s content toward the top of your followers’ feeds by posting once or twice a day, if not more. Whatever you do, make sure it is something that you can stick with.

Another benefit for being regularly active online is it encourages users to start following your profile. The more followers you have, the better your pay-per-click ads may perform, the higher ROI you have.

What Are Social Media Analytics?

Social media analytics show you how well your posts perform. You can track the demographics of who views your content and make the necessary changes you need to drive traffic toward your practice. 

These metrics also allow you to view the best time to post content during the day. For instance, your followers may be inactive during regular work hours or late at night, so post during lunch or around dinner for the highest views.

Running your social media profiles doesn’t need to distract you from providing outstanding client care.

Schedule a demo of our digital tools for veterinary practices and learn more about growing your veterinary practice.